A crucial presence on and off the field for the Portland Thorns, defender Meghan Klingenberg will lend her voice to a new podcast series produced by NBC Sports and Telemundo.
“My New Favorite Futbolista” will be a 10-part audio and video series leading into the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, featuring in-depth interviews with some of the game’s biggest stars including Thorns players Crystal Dunn, Rocky Rodríguez, Becky Sauerbrunn, Christine Sinclair and Sophia Smith. In-depth narratives and discussions that focus on how players leave an impact off the field will be central to the podcast’s storytelling effort.
Klingenberg — a 2015 World Cup champion with the U.S. — will co-host the English version of the podcast with journalist Eric Alvarez, who hosted the same series leading into the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Mexican national Janelly Farías will join Alvarez on the Spanish-language version. Episodes will run between 15 and 20 minutes.
“The remarkable stories of resilience, compassion and dedication behind these world-class competitors are inspirational,” Klingenberg said in a release. “It’s been a true pleasure to contribute to this project and help showcase the powerful impact athletes can have as role models and leaders. I can’t wait to see them perform on the field this summer and cheer for their continued success off the field.”
The podcast will be available to listen starting June 14 on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and iHeart. Video versions of each episode will air on NBC and Telemundo digital platforms and linear channels along with LX News, TeleXitos and Peacock. Listeners can subscribe to the series here.
FULL EPISODE SCHEDULE:
Episode 1 – June 14 – Crystal Dunn: Soccer’s Super Mom
- Athlete: Crystal Dunn, United States
- Reporter: Ashley Chaparro, NBC 4 & Telemundo 47 New York (English & Spanish)
- The USWNT’s Crystal Dunn, who returned to soccer less than four months after giving birth to her son Marcel Jean, shares how she juggles her career and motherhood
Episode 2 – June 14 – Rocky Rodriguez’s Complicated American Dream
- Athlete: Rocky Rodriguez, Costa Rica
- Reporter: Valeria Aponte, NBC 10 & Telemundo 62 Philadelphia (English & Spanish)
- Costa Rica’s Raquel “Rocky” Rodríguez, the 2016 NWSL Rookie of the Year, faced unexpected obstacles when she decided to immigrate to the U.S.
Episode 3 – June 21 – Becky Sauerbrunn: Team USA’s Moral Compass
- Athlete: Becky Sauerbrunn, United States
- Reporters: Hector Lozano, Telemundo Chicago (Spanish); Leila Rahimi, NBC Chicago (English)
- USWNT’s Becky Sauerbrunn describes herself as an introvert, but proudly advocates for causes she finds important, from trans inclusion to gender equity
Episode 4 – June 21 – Soccer’s Silent Superstar Christine Sinclair Opens Up
- Athlete: Christine Sinclair, Canada
- Reporters: Max Cordaro, Telemundo 48 Area de la Bahía (Spanish); Tara Slone, NBC Sports Bay Area (English)
- Canada’s Christine Sinclair, the all-time international goal leader, has always let her play do the talking, but now she opens up about gender equality, multiple sclerosis, and more
Episode 5 – June 28 – Team USA’s Sofia Huerta and Ashley Sanchez: Am I Mexican enough?
- Athletes: Ashley Sanchez and Sofia Huerta, United States
- Reporter: Annabelle Sedano, NBC4 & Telemundo 52 Los Angeles (English & Spanish)
- Sofia Huerta and Ashley Sanchez, who are poised to be the only two Mexican Americans to represent the U.S. at the World Cup, are grappling with their hybrid identities
Episode 6 – June 28 – Estefanía Banini: The ‘Female Messi’ Fighting for Women’s Equality
- Athlete: Estefanía Banini, Argentina
- Reporter: Isa Echeverri, former pro and Colombia defender
- Argentina’s Estefanía Banini, who is nicknamed the “female Messi,” is using her platform to advocate for equality for female soccer players in Latin America
Episode 7 – July 12 – Naomi Girma: Embracing Ethiopian American Roots
- Athlete: Naomi Girma, United States
- Reporters: Darnay Tripp, NBC 7 San Diego (English); Rigo Villalobos, Telemundo 20 San Diego (Spanish)
- Naomi Girma, the first player of Ethiopian descent on the U.S. Women’s National Team, hopes to make it easier for first-generation Americans to excel in their endeavors
Episode 8 – July 12 – Marta Cox Picks Up the Pieces After Losing Her Mother
- Athlete: Marta Cox, Panama
- Reporters: Roxy Vargas, NBC 6 & Telemundo 51 Miami (English & Spanish)
- Panamanian midfielder Marta Cox, who recently lost her mother unexpectedly, finds ways to keep her mother’s memory alive on the pitch
Episode 9 – July 19 – How Sophia Smith Strengthens Her Mental Health
- Athlete: Sophia Smith, United States
- Reporter: Abbey Fernandez, NBC Bay Area & Telemundo 48 Area de la Bahía (English & Spanish)
- Sophia Smith, the reigning NWSL MVP, has become an advocate for student-athlete mental health after losing her best friend and Stanford teammate Katie Meyer to suicide
Episode 10 – July 19 – How Teenage Phenom Linda Caicedo Overcame Ovarian Cancer
- Athlete: Linda Caicedo, Colombia
- Reporter: Jesús Quiñonez, NBC 10 Boston & Telemundo Boston (English & Spanish)
- 18-year-old Colombian forward Linda Caicedo, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was just 15, is now one of the sport’s most electric goal scorers.
— Ryan Clarke, rclarke@oregonian.com, Twitter: @RyanTClarke
